< 1 Corinthians 8 >
1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
2 But if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he doesn’t yet know as he ought to know.
And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he has come to know nothing yet as he ought to know.
3 But anyone who loves God is known by him.
But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.
4 Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one.
Therefore, concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and no one else is God except the One.
5 For though there are things that are called “gods”, whether in the heavens or on earth—as there are many “gods” and many “lords”—
For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on the earth (since there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’),
6 yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him.
yet for us there is one God, the Father, out of whom are all things and we into Him, and one Sovereign Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and we through Him.
7 However, that knowledge isn’t in all men. But some, with consciousness of an idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
However, this knowledge is not in everyone; but some, with consciousness of the idol, still eat it as offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
8 But food will not commend us to God. For neither, if we don’t eat are we the worse, nor if we eat are we the better.
But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we better off, nor if we do not eat are we worse off.
9 But be careful that by no means does this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak.
But take care lest somehow this ‘right’ of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.
10 For if a man sees you who have knowledge sitting in an idol’s temple, won’t his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
For if someone who is weak sees you with your knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not his conscience be emboldened to eat things offered to idols?
11 And through your knowledge, he who is weak perishes, the brother for whose sake Christ died.
And so the weak brother, for whom Christ died, will be wasted because of your knowledge.
12 Thus, sinning against the brothers, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
But when you thus sin against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.
13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will eat no meat forever more, that I don’t cause my brother to stumble. (aiōn )
So then, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never eat meat again, lest I cause my brother to fall. (aiōn )